Dispensing apparatus



April 1, 1941. E, R CREBBS 2,236,993

` DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 1, 1940 nlllllllll-llllllllllml mulnllnl---lllllllr'v umn IN1/EN ToRT EAR/ R. CREBBS.

A TT ORNE YS.

' Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEy DISPENSIN G APPARATUS Earl R. Crebbs, San Francisco, Calif.

Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,125

io claims.

My invention relates to dispensing means and more particularly to dispensing means of the type wherein material is dispensed from a roll within a container.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved dispensing apparatus for dispensing material from a roll (l) which will facilitate the mounting of a roll in the container of such apparatus, (2) which embodies guide means for guiding such roll to its final position in the container, (3) which automatically functions to orient such guide means to a position favoring the mounting of a roll in such container.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my improved dispensing apparatus with the cover removed, and exposing the roll mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a View in section along the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in section through one end of the container along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and including in elevation the adjacent end of the roller.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 with the roller shown disengaged from its mounting, and illustrating a modification of the embodiment of the preceding figures.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the roll in engagement with its mounting.

Figure '7 is a view taken along the line of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view taken along the line 8--8 of Figure 7.

The container of my improved dispensing apparatus comprises a pair of end walls I and 3 joined at their bottom edges by the floor 5 of the container, which at its forward edge is deformed to provide a downwlardly turned lip 1. The cover for the container is not illustrated, in that it is incidental to the inventive features of my invention, but if shown, would be hinged along the upper edge of the rear wall 8 and would form the top and front of the container when in its closed position, leaving a space between the front edge of the cover and the downwardly turned lip of the oor of the container to provide for withdrawal of material from the container. Such material is dispensed from a roller 9 which is rotatably supported between mountings and I3 carried by the end walls. The particular material to be dispensed is also incidental to the invention described herein, and may include such items as napkins, toilet seat covers and the like.

One of the mounting means |I comprises a spring biased pivot in the form of a leaf spring I5 anchored at one end to the end wall 3 and carrying a pivot Il at an intermediate point thereon determining the axial position of the roll.

I'he other mounting means I3 is carried by the opposite end wall I, and is in the form of a rotatably mounted member having a transverse groove or channel IB extending across its axis and facing inwardly of the container.

The bottom of the channel is of irregular contour providing a pair of sharply sloping shoulders 2| and 23 centrally of the channel. The mounting member is weighted by an extension 25 to one side of the channel, the Weight being sufficient to normally rotate the mounting means I3 to a position in which the channel is horizontal in the absence of a roll 9 mounted in the container. The weight of a roller however is such that when mounted in acontainer, it render-s the weighted portion 25 of the mounting member ineffective to do any turning. Thus, the edge of the material on the roller will always be accessible at the lip 1 and can not be withdrawn into the container by any tendency on the part of the mounting member to orientate the transverse channel to a horizontal position.

The roll comprises a core member or roller 2l, one end of which is provided with an indent 29 to receive the spring biased pivot Il whereby that end of the roll may be rotatably supported thereby.

The -other end of the roller is provided with a cap 3| having a surface complementary to the surface of the pivotal mounting member I3. This end of the roller therefore is formed with a ridge 33 adapted to fit into the transverse channel, and such ridge will have a pair of shoulders 35 and 31 adapted to abut against the shoulders 2| and 23 respectively, formed in the channel of the mounting member, whereby to preclude accidental removal of the roll from the mounting after the same has been placed in position between the mounting members.

In mounting the roll within the container, ,the end with the indent 29 is first placed in engagement with the spring biased pivot and then the other end is swung into the container with the ridge 33 entering thetransverse channel |9 of the mounting member I3. The resiliency of the pivot Supporting spring I5 willenable the roll to clear the shoulders 2| and 23 within the transverse channel and upon being properly positioned, the same spring will urge the ridge into contact with the complementary surface of the transverse channel.

The surface irregularity of the mounting member I3 is made symmetrical with respect to the pivot axis, thus enabling the complementary surface of the roller to be likewise symmetrical. This will avoid any necessity for having to differentiate between the front and the rear of the roller when inserting the same into a container.

By reason of the weighting of the mounting member, which assures horizontal orientation of the transverse groove or channel, the mounting of va roller in the container is thus greatly facilitated. The channel acts as a guiding means, which is readily accessible while the roll is still in large measure exposed beyond the connes of the container, and serves to guide the roller to its nal position in the container. To further facilitate this assembling operation, the ends of the transverse channel may be flared slightly.

The embodiments illustrated in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive is somewhat along the lines of the one just described, but carries the invention a step further to obtain a positive locking of the pivotal mounting member in its orientated position, ready to receive a roller. In this embodiment the mounting member 39, corresponding to mounting I3 of the previously described embodiment, has a pair of openings 4| and 43 formed therethrough in line with the axis of the channel 45 and adjacent shoulders 44 andv 46, these openings being equally spaced from the pivot axis of the mounting member. The locking means is in the form of. a leaf spring 41 anchored to the end wall and having at its free end a lug 49 adapted to ride against the rear surface of the mounting member, and enter either of the openings previously mentioned, when either of such openings arrives in front of this element. Rotational movement of the mounting to bring the transverse channel to its desired horizontal position is realized by weighting the mounting member as before, but by reason of the slight amount of friction which the movement of the mounting member against the lug entails, the weighted portion 50 of the mounting member should be somewhat heavier than that required in the rst embodiment described. It will be apparent that under the above conditions, only one of the openings will be utilized in the locking of the mounting member, although should the locking means accidentally engage the vother opening, the transverse channel will be caught and retained in proper position for the insertion of a roll. The two openings are provided primarily however, to preserve the symmetry of surface for the reason previously noted.

The roller 9 in this embodiment consequently will have a pair of projections 5l and 53 formed thereon adjacent each shoulder 55 and 51 respectively, and so spaced from the axis of the roller as to aline with and enter the openings formed through the mounting. The extent ofthe projections is such as to bring the ends thereof flush with the rear surface of the mounting when in engagement therewith. It will be apparent therefor, upon such engagement that the locking means will be automatically ldisengaged from locking engagement with the mounting, and the roller and mounting will thereafter be free to rotate together. The locking means in the meantime will continue to bear against the rear surface of the mounting, permitting complete rotation ofthe mounting inasmuch as the projections on the roller Will prevent the locking means from engaging in either of the openings. The mounting of a roller in a container is facilitated to a somewhat greater degree than in the first embodiment, by having the mounting locked against rotation in this manner until the roller is placed in engagement therewith.

It follows from the above described embodiments, that the objects of my invention as previously expressed have been fulfilled by such improved dispensing apparatus. While I have described two embodiments of my invention in detail, my invention is capable of various modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof. I therefore do not desire to be limited in my protection to the details of construction illustrated and described above, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container having end supporting walls, means on each of said walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said means comprising a roller engaging member rotatably secured to such end Wall and having a transverse groove thereinextending on both sides of the rotational axis of said member, and means for rotating said member in the absence of a roller to a position with said transverse groove in a predetermined position, to facilitate mounting of a roller on said roller supporting means in said container.

2. A container having end supporting walls,

' means on each of said walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said 'means comprising ra member rotatably secured to such end Wall and having a transverse groove therein extending on both sides of the rotational axis of said member, and a weight connected to said member for rotating said member in the absence of a roller to a position with said transverse groove in substantially a predetermined position to facilitate mounting of a roller on said roller supporting means in said container.

3. A container having end supporting walls, means on each of said walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said means comprising a member rotatably secured to such end wall and having a transverse groove therein extending on both sides of the rotational axis of said member, and means, in the absence of a roller, for locking said member in a rotational position with said transverse groove in a substantially horizontal position to facilitate mounting of a roller on said roller supporting means in said container.

4. A container having end supporting walls., means on each of said walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said means comprising a member rotatably secured to only one of said end walls and having a transverse groove therein extending on both sides of the rotational axis of said member, said member being weighted to rotate the same to a position with said transverse groove in a substantially horizontal position in the absence of a roller in said container, and means for engaging said member while in such position to lock the member against forced rotation, to facilitate mounting of a roller in said container and on said roller supporting means.

5. A container having end supporting walls, means on each. of said walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said means comprising a spring biased pivot and the other a member rotat-ably secured to such end wall and having a transverse groove therein extending on both sides of the rotational axis of said member, and means for urging said member to a position With said transverse groove in a substantially horizontal position in the absence of a roller.

6. A container having end Walls, means on each of said end Walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said means being rotatablymounted and having an irregular surface engageable by a complementary end surface of such roller when such means is oriented in a predetermined position, and a Weight on one side of the rotational axis of said latter means for normally orienting said roller supporting means in the absence of a roller to such predetermined position to facilitate mounting of such roller in said container.

'7. A container having end walls, means on each of said end walls cooperative to support a roller, one of said means being rotatably mounted and having an irregular surface facilitating mounting of a roller in said container When said latter means is in a preset position, means for presetting and locking said means in such position, and a roller mounted on both of said roller supporting means and having an end surface complementary to the irregular surface of said supporting means and shaped to unlock the same upon mounting of said roller in said container.

8. A container having a roller mounting normally locked in a predetermined position against 30 rotation to facilitate mounting of a roller in said container, and a roller disposed in said roller mounting and having an end surface making a complementary t with said roller mounting and having means on said surface for unlocking said mounting when assembled therewith to permit free rotation of said mounting and said roller in said container as a unit.

9. A container having a rotatable roller mounting, means aiixed to said container and engaging said roller mounting for normally locking said mounting in a predetermined position against rotation to facilitate mounting of such roller in said container, and a roller disposed in said mounting and having an end surface making a complementary fit with said roller mounting and having means thereon for disengaging said locking means from said mounting when assembled therewith to free said mounting and permit free rotation thereof and said roller in said container as a unit.

10. A roller adapted for mounting on a container, said roller having at least one end surface provided with a transverse raised ridge extending across the axis of said roller, said ridge having a portion cut away to admit a centering element, and a raised portion on at least one side of said cut-away portion, the ridge Walls of said cut-away portion being at an angle to the axis of said roller.

EARL R. CREBBS. 

